Foundations of the Faith, Part 4: Right In With the Rest

The foundation of our faith is repentance from dead works and faith toward God (Hebrews 6:1). In this series, we’re digging into one sin at a time, where it comes from, and the faith that replaces it.

This post covers four sins Paul lists right in with the rest, from 2 Timothy 3 and 1 Corinthians 6.

"For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy." — 2 Timothy 3:2 (KJV)

Unthankfulness

In 2 Timothy 3:2, Paul lists it right in with the rest: “unthankful, unholy.”

That’s a strange one to see grouped in with sins like that. Unthankfulness doesn’t feel like it’s in the same category as unholy.

But look at Romans 1:21:

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." — Romans 1:21 (KJV)

Paul puts unthankfulness right at the start of humanity’s slide away from God. Not somewhere in the middle, but at the root.

Refusing to be thankful is refusing to admit you received something. You’re saying, “I got here myself. I don’t owe anybody credit.” So unthankfulness isn’t just bad manners toward God. It’s not believing He’s actually the one who gave you what you have.

Faith looks like naming what He’s given you and actually thanking Him for it, instead of acting like you earned it alone.

Loving Pleasure More Than God

"Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." — 2 Timothy 3:4 (KJV)

Not “instead of.” More than. It’s a comparison, and the question is which one wins.

Moses already showed us what winning that comparison looks like:

"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." — Hebrews 11:25 (KJV)

He wasn’t pretending pleasure wasn’t real. He just weighed it against something better, and it lost.

That’s not willpower. That’s believing something 1 John 4:19 already told us:

"We love him, because he first loved us." — 1 John 4:19 (KJV)

If you believed that the way Moses did, loving Him wouldn’t be a competition. It’d just be the natural response.

Disobedience to Parents

In 2 Timothy 3:2, Paul lists it right in with the rest: “disobedient to parents.”

It’s easy to think of that as just a kid thing, not really a faith issue. But look at how Paul frames the command:

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." — Ephesians 6:1–3 (KJV)

He attaches a promise to it. Obey, and it goes well for you.

That means disobedience isn’t just about not liking a rule. It’s not believing the promise attached to it: that God actually knows what’s good for you better than you do in that moment.

Faith looks like trusting that His design, parents in authority with a promise attached to honoring them, is actually for your good, even when you can’t see why in the moment.

Reviling

"Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." — 1 Corinthians 6:10 (KJV)

Reviling means harsh, shameful words meant to make someone feel worthless. It’s not just an insult in passing. It’s language meant to shame someone, to treat them like they’re beneath you.

And Jesus said something interesting about the flip side of that word:

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." — Matthew 5:11 (KJV)

It’s what gets done to believers. That makes it worse when we do it to somebody else. We know what it feels like, and we hand it out anyway.

That’s the unbelief underneath it. You don’t trust God to handle the situation, or to be your defense, so you take them down yourself with words. Faith looks like trusting Him with your reputation and theirs, instead of managing both with your mouth.

"Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." — 1 Peter 2:23 (KJV)

The Faith Under Each Sin

• UnthankfulnessNot believing He’s the one who gave you what you have. Faith names what He’s given and thanks Him for it.
• Loving Pleasure More Than GodLosing the comparison. Faith believes “he first loved us,” and loving Him becomes the natural response.
• Disobedience to ParentsNot believing the promise attached to the command. Faith trusts His design is for your good.
• RevilingNot trusting God to be your defense. Faith trusts Him with your reputation and theirs.